Chapter 96 Keal suspicions
As Adrian turned his full attention to Keal, the overwhelming anger that had been building visibly drained from his posture. His shoulders relaxed slightly. His jaw unclenched.
It was exactly what Keal had suspected. The rage wasn't natural. It was artificially triggered, probably by proximity to Lila combined with whatever spell had been cast during that ritual. If Adrian's attention was pulled away from her, the anger dissipated almost immediately.
Which meant Freya had done something beyond simply severing the bond. She'd actively planted rage as a replacement emotion. Every time Adrian looked at Lila or thought about her, artificial fury would rise to keep him from recognizing that the bond was still there, just hidden.
Garrett watched this exchange with growing concern. The plan had been for Adrian to lose control and punish Lila severely for her serving error. Instead, Keal had smoothly redirected the King's attention and defused the situation entirely.
He needed to create new tension before the opportunity was lost.
Thorne evidently had the same thought. As Lila bent to set down Adrian's cup, still following Aria's incorrect instructions about positioning, Thorne made his move.
He "accidentally" bumped the table with his elbow. The jolt sent Lila's tray tilting sharply. The cup she was holding tipped, and wine poured directly onto Adrian's royal robes. The expensive fabric immediately began soaking up the dark red liquid.
The glass slipped from Lila's hand in her shock. It shattered on the table's edge, and one of the broken shards flew up and caught her across the cheek before she could dodge.
Blood welled from the cut, dripping down her face.
"You clumsy fool!" Thorne stood quickly, his voice filled with perfectly calculated outrage. "Look what you've done! You've ruined the King's ceremonial robes!"
Lila stood frozen, one hand pressed to her bleeding cheek, the other still holding the now-empty tray. Wine dripped from Adrian's robes onto the floor. Broken glass glittered on the polished table.
Garrett watched with barely concealed satisfaction. Now Adrian would have to react. The girl had committed a clear offense. Protocol demanded punishment.
But instead, Thorne's next words shocked everyone.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to apologize on behalf of the staff." Thorne's voice was filled with false concern. "This girl is clearly too unskilled for such delicate service. It's my fault for not covering the head servant adequately."
He was defending her. Trying to shield her from Adrian's reaction while simultaneously appearing magnanimous. The political maneuvering was masterful.
Garrett's mind raced. He hadn't expected Thorne to be this desperate to appear benevolent. The councilor must have his own reasons for wanting to seem like Lila's protector.
"It was an accident." Garrett stood smoothly, shifting to play the opposite role. "But accidents from incompetence are still offenses..." He paused, then corrected himself. "I feel obligated to point out that such clumsiness endangers His Majesty's dignity."
Lila had already dropped to her knees, frantically trying to clean the wine from Adrian's robes before it could set into a permanent stain. Her hands shook as she dabbed at the expensive fabric with a cloth from her apron.
"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. I'm so sorry." Her voice was barely above a whisper, thick with genuine distress. "Please, I can clean this. I can fix it."
Keal moved as if to pull her away before the situation escalated further. But Garrett moved faster.
His hand shot out and gripped Lila's wrist with brutal strength. Pain exploded up her arm. Her protective instincts flared, the same combat reflexes that had emerged when Adrian grabbed her in his chambers.
Garrett raised his hand to strike her for such disrespect. "You will learn your place, girl!"
Two things happened simultaneously.
Adrian moved with Alpha speed, his hand catching Garrett's wrist mid-swing before the blow could land.
And Lila's free hand shot up and caught Garrett's other wrist in an iron grip, stopping him from using that arm to complete the strike from a different angle.
The room went utterly silent.
No servant had ever dared touch a noble who was punishing them. It was the highest form of disrespect. An unforgivable offense that typically meant immediate execution.
But Adrian stood frozen, his own hand still gripping Garrett's wrist, staring at Lila in complete shock. That speed. That reflexive defense. It had nearly matched his own Alpha reflexes.
And more importantly, as he looked at Lila's face, he saw something that made his blood run cold.
She was staring at Garrett with widened, shocked eyes. But not shock at her own actions. Shock of recognition. Her anger was obvious in the way her brows twisted together. The way her lips pulled back slightly from her teeth.
She knew him. Even with her memories supposedly gone, some part of her recognized Garrett as an enemy.
Adrian slowly released Garrett's wrist but made no move to stop Lila or pull her away. He wanted to see what would happen next.
"How dare you!" Garrett's voice rose with genuine fury. "How dare you look me in the eyes! I command you to look down now, servant!"
But Lila didn't flinch. Didn't lower her gaze. She stared directly at Garrett's face, her hand still gripping his wrist with impossible strength, and spoke words that shocked everyone.
"Who do you think you are, Garrett?" Her voice was clear and cold. "You weren't supposed to return."
Garrett's eyes widened in shock. In his mind, one thought screamed above all others: She remembers me. The spell didn't work completely. She knows who I am.
Adrian remained frozen, his mind racing. How did she know Garrett wasn't supposed to be here? She had no memory of the exile or the reasons behind it. Unless some part of her mind remembered more than Freya had claimed was possible.